“It Comes Back to Money”: Neighbours Fought a Church’s 44 Affordable Homes. The State Approved Them Anyway

• Brisbane’s Catholic Archdiocese plans 44 affordable homes on 17,300 square metres of church land at Wakerley
• Most units will be rented at no more than 74.9 per cent of market rent
• Neighbours petitioned against the project over traffic, trees and infrastructure
• Queensland’s government approved it in April 2025 as a State Facilitated Development

A Catholic plan to build affordable homes on church land in suburban Brisbane went from neighbourhood battle to government approval in the space of two months. The ABC reported on 5 February 2025 that residents of Wakerley were opposing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane’s proposal for 44 affordable units on a 17,300 square metre church-owned site at 652 New Cleveland Road, the site of St Jude’s Catholic Church. On 2 April 2025 it reported that the state government had approved the project.

The two-storey development is to be at least 85 per cent affordable, with rents for most units capped at 74.9 per cent of market rate. The previous Labor government had declared the site a State Facilitated Development shortly before the 2024 election, a pathway that meant residents could not challenge the approval.

Neighbours raised concerns about traffic near Gumdale State School, pressure on infrastructure and the loss of trees, and a petition claimed the project would create a “ghetto”. Resident Peter Bingham questioned the church’s motives: “It’s alright for them to say they’re doing it out of their Christian values or whatever, but it comes back to money.” Another resident, John Bramley, said: “All these beautiful gum trees are in our backyards basically, and my concern is these trees are going to be demolished and cut up.”

After the approval, Archbishop Mark Coleridge said: “It is a clear example of how faith-based land can be used for the common good.” The archdiocese said it would find a community housing provider to run the homes.

The Wakerley case shows both the promise and the politics of church-land housing. Churches often hold large, well-located sites, but building on them can bring them into conflict with neighbours who value the open space, and planning systems vary widely in how much weight those objections carry.

Jamaica faces a similar question as churches consider using their land to ease the housing shortage. The Brisbane experience suggests that congregations should be ready for opposition, consult early, and partner with an experienced housing manager. It also shows the value of a planning route for socially useful projects, something Jamaican church leaders could raise with the government as it looks for more land for affordable homes.

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